Taking it slow…

Yesterday I had some free time, and one thing I like to do is bake.  I had seen a recipe for Nutella bread and had talked about it at the office.  In fact, I told the secretary that I’d bring some in on Monday if I made it.

I broke two of my hard and fast rules (okay,  so not so hard and fast as all that): first, I always follow the recipe meticulously when I make something for the first time.  Second, I never double a recipe the first time I make it.  Really, look at that picture.  Does that not look divine?  And to have just one loaf, what a shame.  I do a fair amount of baking, so I thought, “What could go wrong?”

Lots could and did go wrong.  First, I used a pound of butter and a jar of chocolate gold to end up with a doughy lava mess.  It was a disaster.  The recipe called for a bake time of 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I tested at one hour, and the wooden skewer came out clean.  Bingo, done!  Wrong.  I inverted the pans after waiting 15 minutes, and first, there was a little jiggle, then the sides opened up, and out flowed butter and Nutella.

So why am I exposing my baking shame on an academic blog?  Because the same two hard and fast baking rules also apply to classroom assessment techniques:  the first time you try an assessment, do it just like the instructions say.  Probably even the second time.  Then make adjustments to fit your situation.  Second, don’t make a double batch; start with one assessment, master it, then start adding more to your repertoire.

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